Exit, Stage Left
by Ultrawoman
Summary: One-Shot. Joel can see what is between Zoe and Wade, even if she refuses to acknowledge it, and he can't handle it anymore. [post-3x8 Miracles]


**A/N: Don't ask me where this came from, other than my head, obviously! lol I'm watching Season 3, wanting Zoe/Wade to happen, and yet not at all hating Joel because... how can I? Anyway, here's what occurred in my brain after watching 3x8 Miracles - hope someone gets a kick out of it :)**

 _ **(Disclaimer: All recognisable characters and any recognisable dialogue from Hart of Dixie belong to Leila Gerstein and other folks who aren't me).**_

Exit, Stage Left

"Oh my God, Joel! You're amazing!"

There was a huge smile on Zoe's face as she came bursting into their room at the Whippoorwill Blossom and her boyfriend was glad to see it. There had been so much drama lately, it was a pleasure to see her so happy, at least until he realised what had caused her good mood.

"This is great writing, just incredible! I can't believe you ever had writer's block," she said, waving around the pages he had given her to read. "I started reading between patients at work, I actually left poor Delma in the waiting area for almost a half hour, I was so engrossed. I am never that unprofessional," she declared, sitting down on the bed with a bump. "Now, I know you're not romance guy as a rule, but I think if you wanted to go down that road, you definitely could. This guy is just the best. Well, not the best, I mean, clearly he can be a real pain in the ass sometimes, but he's so sweet and it's obvious that they should end up together because-, Joel, what are you doing?"

She only stopped raving about the supposed scenes from his book when she realised he had put his suitcase up on his side of the bed and that it was already mostly packed up ready to go.

"I'm going back to New York," he said easily.

Zoe frowned. "Okay, I'm confused. I just said I love your book and your response is to leave?" she asked, leaping up from the bed to stare at him. "Joel!" she yelled when he failed to answer.

He heaved a sigh, taking off his glasses to run a hand over his face. This was tougher than he thought it was going to be, but it had to be done.

"Zoe, those pages are not a part of my book," he explained, meeting her eyes. "I wrote those for you, as a test, I guess."

"A test?" she echoed, shaking her head. "A test of what?"

"A test of what you wanted. That guy you like so much in the story, I based him on someone I know. A friend from Bluebell. I guess you might call him my best bud," he said with a look.

Several different emotions flashed across Zoe's face as she took in those words. There was only one candidate for the title of Joel's best bud in Bluebell, and as she looked at the papers in her hand, Zoe got a horrible sinking feeling.

"No," she said, even though she already knew it was true.

"Yes," Joel confirmed, nodding once. "Zoe, I figured out quite a while ago that Wade is still in love with you. If I hadn't been certain before, it was pretty clear when I heard he kissed you in the hay bale maze a couple of weeks ago, something which you never told me about by the way."

"Because it didn't mean anything," Zoe insisted.

Joel shook his head. "If it didn't mean anything, you would've told me. You both would've told me," he said definitely, knowing she had to realise the truth of it, especially when he saw tears welling in her eyes. "Zoe, I'm not mad about this. I'm... disappointed, very disappointed," he admitted sadly. "It hurts to know that what you and I have isn't enough for you, and please don't say it is," he insisted when she opened her mouth to try. "We both know it's not. I saw the way you looked at Wade and Vivian when they left Hannukah dinner together and... well, I started to wonder, more and more, if I was being stupid. So, I wrote those pages. A heroine based on you, a hero based on Wade, and then I gave it to you to read, just to see how you'd react. You loved it. You just came in here telling me how much."

"That doesn't mean I love him," she insisted, swallowing hard just to get the words out. "I don't even want to like him."

Joel smiled at that, he couldn't help it.

"You don't want to, but you do," he insisted. "Like I said, I've known for a while that he was in love with you, and now I'm certain you're in love with him too, it's just, well, apparently, you wish that you weren't. I'm sorry, Zoe, but that's not enough for me. I can't understudy for the part of Wade until he's good enough to step in," he said, shaking his head. "So, I'm leaving."

Zoe didn't know what she was supposed to say. She wanted to tell Joel he was wrong, but the worst part was, she knew she would have to lie to do it. That was only going to make everything worse. Of course, Wade meant something to her, he couldn't not, but she meant what she said about not wanting to love him, even if the truth was that she truly did.

"I don't want you to go," she said eventually, tears streaming down her face. "Joel, I do love you too, I never lied about that."

"I know," he said, closing up his case and double-checking he had everything. "Zoe, I believe that you care about me. I care about you too, but it's not enough. I'm not the guy you're in love with, am I?"

She hated having to agree with him, but she had no choice, slowly shaking her head.

In moments, Joel had his case in one hand and his bag in the other, heading for the door and out of her life forever. Zoe couldn't watch him leave. Her eyes strayed to the pages strewn by her on the bed, the proof of why they couldn't be together. It hurt to look at it but she couldn't tear her eyes away.

"Goodbye, Zoe. I genuinely wish you all the happiness in the world," said Joel and then he was gone.

* * *

They barely noticed he was gone. Nobody asked Zoe why they hadn't seen Joel around in the last two days, not even Dash, and they were staying in his bed and breakfast. Lavon never questioned the fact Zoe showed up for breakfast alone, Brick didn't ask how things were when she was at the office, and not one neighbour or a friend questioned where Joel might have got to. The worst of it was, when she was busy with her work or getting involved in conversations with everyone, Zoe didn't really miss Joel all that much either.

The problem was avoiding the Rammer Jammer, or more specifically, avoiding Wade. Zoe knew that if she continued to do that she was just proving the point that her ex still had some hold over her, and she hated that. Unfortunately, it was true. Joel had known it. Wade had known it, and even said as much to Zoe herself, more than once. Deep down, she had always known it too, but it had been easier to pretend she didn't, at least, until now.

"Come on, you're a grown woman," she told herself crossly, taking a deep breath and then striding forward through the door.

She went right up to the bar and pulled herself up onto a stool, almost relieved to see only Wanda and Tansy behind the bar, not Wade. She had just allowed herself to breathe easy when he appeared as if from nowhere.

"Hey, doc. I was hoping you'd show up," he said, frowning some. "Where's Joel hidin' these days? 'Cause I got the weirdest note from him."

"A note?" echoed Zoe, almost afraid to ask what it actually said.

"Yeah," Wade confirmed, pulling a piece of paper from his back pocket. "Beats me what he was thinkin' when he wrote it. Something about actors in a play?"

He handed the note to Zoe who took it with shaking hands and read aloud what it said.

"'All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances.' Time for you to get back on stage, buddy. I'm sorry for stealing your place for so long."

Zoe bit her lip as she reached the end of the note, unsure whether she was about to laugh or cry.

"Doc?" said Wade, trying to meet her eyes, clearly concerned about the expression on her face when she finally looked at him. "What's goin' on?"

"What's going on," she said at last, "is that Joel is gone. He, uh, he couldn't be with me anymore, because he felt like he was, well, playing the wrong part, I guess," she explained, handing the note back to Wade and watching him stare at it, still bemused. "Apparently, he's a little better at knowing what I want than I am. Actually, you both are."

It took Wade a moment to put all the pieces together. He wasn't altogether stupid like some might think, but he believed in speaking plainly about things rather than hiding behind riddles and such. He called Joel by the name of Shakespeare at times and wondered now if that wasn't what the words were in the note he left behind. Wade was sure he heard it before at one of Dash's recitals or some such. That, together with what Zoe was saying, and the fact that Joel was gone...

"I'm the Act One guy," he said aloud at last, smiling wide. "Huh. I wondered if he'd be smart enough to figure it out."

"I'm sorry, what?" asked Zoe, shaking her head.

"Long story, doc," Wade told her. "Uh, guess it's not so important now," he said, shrugging as he stuffed Joel's note back into his pocket. "You want a drink?"

"God, yes!" she said, nodding quickly. "But maybe not here. Wade, I... I think we have a lot to talk about, don't you?"

"Maybe," he agreed, meeting her gaze. "This conversation going to be what I think it is?"

"Probably." Zoe nodded. "It's one I think we probably should've had at least four months ago, maybe longer," she admitted. "Probably by a fence outside of Atlanta, way back in June."

Wade smiled then, watching her do the same. If they were coming back around to that particular moment, then there was hope for them yet.

"So, I'm gonna go," said Zoe then, tearing her eyes away from Wade's own and hopping down from her stool, "but later, when you're done here, I could come over to your place."

"I'll bring the wine," he promised, glad to see her smile widen. "And I guess we'll talk."

"Yeah, we'll talk" she agreed, turning and walking away at last.

At least this time Wade knew she wasn't going too far, that her plan was to circle back to him at last. He knew he screwed up before, but there was no way in hell he was letting that happen again. If this was his second chance he was taking it, grabbing at it with both hands and never letting go. Wade wasn't sure if he believed in fairytales, but if it was possible for him and Zoe to talk things out and start again, it would be nice to think they could live happily ever after together.

The End

 **IMPORTANT: For those that don't know, I'm watching Hart of Dixie for the first time and trying to avoid spoilers, so while I will be extremely grateful for any reviews I might get on this story, I would appreciate nothing that might spoil me for anything beyond episode 3x8. Many thanks in advance :)**


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